Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-07-16
Gen. Rut,cr and Mrs. Mumford.


ished an an article stating that sit is said
Gen. Butler had for years been able to re-
tain in office in Washington the widow of
Mumford, whom he had hanged in New Or
leans" Upon the publication of this state.
ment Mr.. Lanier Dunn, of Warm Springs,
who married ward and niece of Gen. But
Ter, addressed a note to the General re-
questing him to state the facts in regard to
Mrs. Mumford, and received the following
answer:
WASHINGTON, D. g., June a, 1857.
NV Dear Mr.. Dunn-You ask me to state
the facts to you in regard to the late Mrs.
Mumford. l have not made any public
statement about this matter because | didn't
care to bring her name into prominence and
expose her to vulgar curiosity during her
life. Her husband, man of some promi
nence among his class, melted mob and
tore down the United States flag from the
mint Of the United States after thu surren
der Of the city of New Orleans. The flag
was torn into shreds and portions Of it were
worn at the buttonhole as trophy by him
self and his associates. The facts being made
known to me, he was arrested, brought be-
fore military commission Tor trial, and that
commission found him guilty and reported
him and his action to me- as command
ing general. After much thought upon the
subject | deemed it was for the best in-
terests Of the people of the United States,
and especially of Louisiana, that an example
should be made of him specially, because
| his act came very near bringing bomb
bardment upon the city by the fleet, because
tearing down the flag was signal that the
city had assumed to consider itself unsur-
rendered. and desired to open hostlites.
therefore ordered his execution on the mint,
at the place where he had torn down the
| flag, which was done.
Shortly before his execution Mrs. Mum
ford called upon me to intercede for his life
] | told her that my decision was irrevocabe
She was Northern lady by birth. | told
her further that | regretted the effect of my
action upon herself and family, and that if
| in the hereafter / could no anything to
alleviate her great misfortunes she might
call upon me as friend. The best thing
she could do for her husband then was TO
| go 10 her husband and assure him that his
sentence WAS irrevocable, and would give
her an order to be admitted to his presence,
to stay with him as long as she liked up to
the time of his execution, and directed my
orderly to take her and her children in my
carriage to the place Of his confinement
This was in the summer Of 49, Long after
wards Il should say in '6S) [ received a
letter from a lady acquaintance of mine in
the North saying that she knew Mrs. Mum
| ford, who was in distress, and she told her
| had promised to hefriend her when
could, and asked me if would allow Mrs
Mumford to see me at Washington. / an
swered that I would be glad to see Mrs.
Mumford if she desired.
A few days after Mrs. Mumford called on
! me, and in answer to TO my question how
she was getting on. she gave me the follow
ing narration. That soon after her hus-
bands death subscription had been made
in the South for her and her childrens' bene.
fit of considerable sums OF money, but as it
was Confederate money it had not been
much benefit. That considerable portion
or all of it had been placed in the hands of a
trustee, clergyman, l think, who had
bought for her some land in Wytheville, Va !,
and had built house thereon, but which
hadn't been quite finished. There was a
carpenters lien Oh her house, and it was
about to be closed upon that carpenters
| lien, and che would lose it unless she could
et money enough to pay the carpenter. |
told her | would look into the matter, and
| if she would call couple of days afterward
I would tell her what / could do for her. |
| telegraphed to gentleman in Virginia. who
| had charge of some property OF mine, and
asked him to go and investigate Mrs. Num-
fords matters at WythevilJe, and to pay
whatever was necessary to save her house.
He went and Immediately teiegraphed me
how matters stood, and that the carpenters
lien was something like $50, which he had
adjusted and charged to my account. Mrs.
Mumford called and told her what had
been done, and she was very grateful.
l then said to her, How are you to
live ?" She said all she had to live upon
was what she and her children could earn
or raise from the land, of which there was
very few acres. But" | said, chow are
your children to be educated then ?" She
said she didn't know. WELL" said 'you
never can get on in that way. l will see if
anything ese can be done for you, and if
you will call on me in two or three days
will see what can be DONE" ! further said.
Madam, you have been very profuse in
your thanks to me; will you do me the fa
vor to put what you say to me in writing in
the form of little note? | am going out
| now, anu you CHI WTlte IL ueTe NJ my lhUlS
and leave it for me, and as you say you are
stopping ut Alexandria with friend, if you
will call tomorrow or next day, will tell
you whether | can do anything more for
you" On my return found her note, very
we'll written and well composed, showing
that she was lady of education. What |
wanted Of the note was that it should be
sort of civil service examination to ascer-
tain if could recommend her for clerk.
was satisfied, and went to my friend Mr..
Commissioner Douglass, of the internal rev.
enue bureau, and told MIN that ] must have
a clerkship for lady if possible. He told
me that it was hardly possible, he thought,
but he would see il there was vacancy. l
told him the story. l said. Il don't want
to give any recommendation to be put on
file, because it would call attention
to the lady's name, and might be
unpleasant to her." Like true gentleman,
he said, Every well send the lady in with
your card, and I'll see that she has work in
my bureau" The next day Mrs. Mumford
called, gave her my card and told her